Box office report for Oct. 26, 2009
he gory and seemingly endless “Saw” franchise finally met its match over the weekend.
The micro-budgeted fright flick “Paranormal Activity” ascended to the No. 1 spot after its nationwide release over the weekend.
In contrast, “Saw VI” debuted with just $14.8 million for second place. According to the Associated Press, the “Saw” franchise that has been an annual fixture before the Halloween holiday since 2004.
This was the worst opening ever for Lionsgate’s “Saw” series, whose previous low was $18.3 million for the original movie. Subsequent installments of the “Saw” franchise all opened at $30 million or better.
This time, horror fans simply opted for the documentary-style chills of “Paranormal Activity” instead of the bloody thrills of the new “Saw” installment.
After four weeks in narrower release, distributor Paramount released “Paranormal Activity” into 1,945 theaters. That still was just under two-thirds of the 3,036 theater count for “Saw VI.”
“Paranormal Activity” raised its total haul to $62.5 million. The movie was shot for a reported $15,000 but has become a horror sensation because of online fan buzz. The fictional movie unfolds like a homemade documentary as a couple copes with apparitions and supernatural phenomena in their home.
It has a strong shot at topping $100 million, something none of the “Saw” movies ever managed.
Paramount already is toying with the prospects for sequels or prequels.
“Given the success of this and the passion of the online community, I think our guys have got a number of different ideas they’re percolating,” said Rob Moore, Paramount vice chairman, to the AP. “Once we’ve gotten to the end of this run, we’ll see what other fun we can have with this.”
According to the AP, the overall box office declined, with Hollywood revenues totaling $121 million, down 9 percent from the same weekend a year ag, when ”High School Musical 3: Senior Year” debuted with $42 million and “Saw V” opened with $30.1 million.
That was despite the number of new releases in theaters, most of which notched lackluster numbers. Summit Entertainment’s “Astro Boy” opened at No. 6 with $7 million, Universal’s “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant” debuted at No. 8 with $6.3 million, and Fox Searchlight’s “Amelia” premiered at No. 11 with $4 million.
The previous weekend’s No. 1 movie, the Warner Bros. tale “Where the Wild Things Are,” fell to No. 3, just behind “Saw VI” with $14.4 million. Spike Jonze’s adaptation of the beloved Maurice Sendak’s beloved picture book raised its total to $54 million.
The box-office should get a jolt over the Halloween holiday as “Paranormal Activity” expands to as many as 2,500 theaters and Sony’s “Michael Jackson: This Is It” heads into its first weekend after debuting late Tuesday night.
Here are the weekend’s top 10 movies, from the AP:
1. “Paranormal Activity,” $22 million.
2. “Saw VI,” $14.8 million.
3. “Where the Wild Things Are,” $14.4 million.
4. “Law Abiding Citizen,” $12.7 million.
5. “Couples Retreat,” $11.1 million.
6. “Astro Boy,” $7 million.
7. “The Stepfather,” $6.5 million.
8. “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant,” $6.3 million.
9. “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” $5.6 million.
10. “Zombieland,” $4.3 million.
-BAM
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